Method and device for separating coherent tobacco leaves



Oct. 29, 1935. v. LORENTZ METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEFARATING GOHERENT TOBACCO LEAVES Filed May 29,

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SEPARATING COHERENT TOBACCO LEAVES Valentin Lorentz, Dresden-Hohendolzschen, Germany, assignor to Carl Bergmann, Dresden-A,

Germany Application May 29, 1931, Serial No. 541,077 In Germany July 28, 1930 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and device for separating coherent tobacco leaves.

A known method of separating tobacco leaves that stick together on being removed from bales 5 consists in exposing the bunches to the action of an air current which counteracts the inertia of the bunches or bundles and divides them into individual leaves.

The present invention employs other means by providing a device which moves the coherent tobacco leaves in such a way that separation is effected by air resistance, i. e., the leaves are thrown into an air space in the form of bundles or bunches which are then separated into single leaves by the resistance of the air. The method is carried out by causing the device to impart to the tobacco leaves a uniform or uniformly accelerated motion, the final velocity being chosen so that separation of the leaves takes place by the resistance of the air. For carrying out the process various devices may be employed. For example, the bundles may be rotated by the device about a central point and, simultaneously, be capable of moving away from the pivot while rotating, the speed of the bundles being uniformly accelerated thereby and the resistance of the air insures complete separation of the leaves. The conduit in which the bundles move is bent preferably in wavelike fashion or provided with resistances for effecting separation of the leaves by purely mechanical means also. Or the bundles may be thrown into the air space by a sort of projecting or shooting device, in which case the initial velocity is great enough to insure complete separation by the resistance of the air. Furthermore, several devices provided with catches may be arranged one behind the other to impart increasing speed to the tobacco leaves by providing, for instance, a number of bands one after the other which move at different speeds and throwing the bundles of leaves from the slower band to a speedier one, the division into single leaves taking place with absolute certainty at the point where the resistance of the air effects a separation owing to the high velocity.

The devices carrying out the process in accordance with the present invention may serve as mixing devices also. For this purpose the various kinds of tobacco are guided to the separating means which effect thorough mixing of the different sorts of tobacco when the latter reach the collector. To remove bundle portions which still stick together as well as heavy foreign substances, centrifugal force is utilized by causing the portions that stick together to be thrown beyond the collecting vessel for the separated leaves and catching them separately. This can be effected in a simple manner, since the oo- 60 hering bundle portions or foreign substances possess a higher specific gravity and, moreover, disclose a much lower air resistance.

If a device is used for separating the tobacco leaves, in which the tobacco portions are forced by a catch or driver to carry out a certain motion, such as, for instance a centrifuge, it becomes possible to obtain the added advantage of cleaning the tobacco during the separating process by constructing the mechanical carrier so that the dust and sand contained in the tobacco may pass through it and into a special chamber. This object can be preferably attained by manufacturing the carrier serving as centrifuge from pervious material in the form of a sieve, fabric or the like, through which the dust particles can pass during the motion of the tobacco. As the dust particles are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, only the outer surface of the carrier need be made from permeable material.

As the tobacco leaves are moved about in the carrier for a short time only, it is advantageous to dust them still further when they have come out of the carrier. For this purpose another receiving chamber may be provided which surrounds the carrier on all sides and has sievelike walls also. The entire device may be disposed within a single casing which shuts off the device dusttight and takes up, for example, the dust coming out of the carrier or receiving chamber. This casing may be freed from dust by pneumatic or mechanical means.

Owing to the speed of the leaves, the latter are moved through the receiving chamber surrounding the carrier and can be caught in a special container. To insure the removal of coherent bundles or foreign substances, such as stones, coins, nails and the like, from the tobacco in this modification also, an additional receiver is arranged preferably opposite the outlet opening of the receiving chamber for tobacco and at a suitable distance thereof, the separated leaves being taken away between the two receivers while the substances of greater specific gravity are thrown into the second receiver.

The invention, which permits of still other modifications, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a side and top view of a device serving exclusively for separating the tobacco leaves; Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of a device for the simultaneous separation and cleaning of tobacco leaves; and Fig. 4, a view of the spiral carrier employed in the modification shown in Fig. 3.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 and 2, l is a hopper for receiving the tobacco bundles of the same or different kinds. The hopper I opens into a vertical pipe 2 which in turn opens into a horizontal conduit 3. The entire device can be rotated about the vertical shaft 4. 5 is a driver 60 ,lwhich may-beconstructed to form a belt pulley,

gear or the like. ;'Ihe direction of rotation is indicated in'Fig. 2. The conduit 3 is preferably corf rugated and may contain specialirictional resist LY ances for. holding the leaves When the device Q islturnedand the tobacco bunches are fed into the hopper i,jthe buncheswill move at a uni- V ,forinly accelerated speed and, owing to centrifugal force, willtend to move outwardly through inner resistances in the conduit 3 separate the bundles completely'intosingle leaves. 'At the end cf'the conduit t acollectorinot shown) is provided.- forthe separated leaves, which; in this case, has a circular shape The portions ofthe the conduit 3. The resistance of the air and the bundles that are not separated and the heavier foreign substances fly beyond the collector and can be caughtseparately. V

In the modification according to Figs. 3 and 4, 6 indicates thetobacco bundles fedinto the hop- "per '7 through" which they pass into the carrier 8 constructed'like a centrifuge. The outer walls Sof the carrier 8 are made from sievelike fabrics j to permit the passageof the dust. in is'the-ree ceivingchamber for the tobacco coming, out of 1 the carrier 8 and :i I is the discharge conduit for the leaves through, which they pass outside from the; receiving chamberiJlThe entire'device is arranged in a casing i2 provided at its lower end I withan opening l3 which'may be connected to a suction piping to remove *thedust particles it 7 from thecontainer. i is the inlet for the suction After the tobacco has passed throughlthe device it moves on a conveyor ifipassing overithe rolls H, i8. Opposite-the opening Ha funnellike receiver I9 is provided forcatching the foreign substances 2?] thrown out of the'conduit' li at .nThetobacco bunches l are conveyed outwardgreat speed. V v The device functions 'as follows:

lyQby the rotation of the centrifuge 8 in'the direction: of theaarrow so that the dust particles M 1 are thrownout through the sievelike walls 9 of the'carrier 8. The outlet opening of the -centri' iuge 8 is constructed so as to facilitate the passage ,Of'the tobacco into the container Hi; The rota- 7 ;tion of the centrifuge 8 imparts to'the tobacco accelerated motion to such an extent that it is thrown; out through the'pipe ll without any trouble and'can'thenbeconveyed by means of the jband B5." In the same way as to the tobacco, high speed is imparted'also to the foreign substances 2t contained in thetobacco', which are thus thrown farther than the tobacco and can be caught by "thefunnellii. Instead of the device shown in theYdrawingan appliance may beused operatingalong the lines oi a'projecting or shooting apparatus so that the ibunch'es are thrown into the airspace and the f JeaVesseparated from one another. If different sortslof tobacco are fed into the carrier, thorough mixing ofv the leaves will be eifected therein. 7 1 V "I claimze f l: 1. A device for "separating coherent tobacco leaves, comprising a mechanical rotating carrier 7 lwith'a piping for the discharge of the leaves, a receiver for .the'loosened tobaccoleaves, a second receiverfor catching coherent leaf portions and foreign? substances contained in the tobacco, the

' ,coherentleaf portions beingf projected by cenleaves and caught by the second receiver, and a trifugal forcebeyond the receiver 'for the tobacco ,conveyer for the separated leaves. r i

2. A device for-separating coherent tobacco leaves, comprising, a mechanical rotating tubelike carrier made'of' permeable material to' permit the passage therethrough of dust and sand con- I tained inthe'tobacco leaves, a receiving chamber leaves; 'cjo'niprisin'g a mechanical rotatingtubelike carrierimade of permeable material to permit the 10 7 passage therethroughof dust andsanda receiving chamber for tobacco leaves surroundingsaid carrier made of permeable material to permit dust and sand contained in the tobacco leaves to pass through it; a dust chamber adapted to receive the dust and; sand comingout of the receiving chamber, and conveying means disposed behind I the outlet to said receiving chamber and adapted tomove the tobacco leaves.

4. A devicerfor separating coherentj tobacco-go leaves comprising a mechanical rotating tubelike I carrier made ofypermeable material,;a tobacco receiving chamber surrounding said carrier and made of permeable material to permit dust and sand; contained in-thetobacco to pass throughgs' it, a dust, chamber surrounding said tobacco receiving chamber dust tight on all'sidesand adapted to receive the dust comingout of said receiv ing chamber and the mechanical tubelikecare rier, conveying means disposed 'behind' the re-go ceiving. chamber and adapted to move the tobacco leaves, and means for pneumatically removing the dust and-sand from the dust chamber,

I '5. A' device for separating coherent, tobacco leaves comprisinga mechanical rotating carrier, 5 a tobacco 're'ceiving chamber surrounding said carrier and made of permeable material to perrnit the passage of dust containedin/the tobacco leaves, a dust chamberadapted to receive the f dust and sand coming outer said receiving chamiher, conveying means connected to said recelv- V ingachamber and adapted to move the' tobacco leaV65,,-and a second'receiver disposedopposit'e- I. the receiving chamber at a distance therefrom V and adapted to'catch substances contained in the tobacco'leaves discharged between the tobacco receiving chamber and saidreceiver. l w. 6; A device for separating packs of bundled tO-g bacco leaves by exposing them to the action off;

a rotating carrier of sufficientlen'gth, ,compris-g ing a rotating shaft, a tube connected atone end.

to saidshaft and having an opening at this end p 7 for the entrance of the-bundled tobacco leaves, and 'means; arranged on the rotating other end Q of said tube for discharging the separated to '55 baccoleaves.

7. A device for separating packs'of bundled to bacco leaves by exposing them to the action of a rotating carrier of sufficient length, comprising "a vertical rotating shaft, a tube connected at one so;

end to said shaft andhaving an opening at this 7 end for the entrance of the bundled tobacco leaves, and, means arranged'on the rotatingf'other end'of said tube for discharging the separated tobacco leaves. a v, V

8. A devicefor separating packs of bundled tobacco leaves by exposing them to the action of V a rotating carrier of sufiicient length, comprising a'horizontalrotating' shaft, atube connected at oneend tosaid. sha'ftand having an opening at this endf for theentranceof the bundled tobacco leaves, and'means arranged on the rotating other 'end of said tubefor discharging thesepar'ated qba co leavesr r VALENTIN Lonnnrzl; v, 

